We descended 1,000 feet from desert vistas, through hundreds of feet of alluvial flow to be greeted by a hidden oasis of date palms.  The China Ranch Date Farm is a family owned business within a lush oasis of palms, cottonwoods and willows.  Fed by natural springs, the harvest season has just began.  Over a dozen different variety of dates are available for sampling.  After a short hike along the Amargosa River and through the groves of date palms, we returned to the gift shop and purchased several pounds.  Sampling fresh dates was like eating candy.  Want some? China Ranch has a website.

We are here for the Annual Old West Days in Shoshone, a sleepy mining town, along highway 127, just outside Death Valley National Park. The weather is awesome. It’s not too late to plan a weekend in the Amargosa Valley.

A bubbly piece of white chalcedony served as a paper weight on the table of the campground host. A rockhounding conversation followed. collectable minerals can be found in all directions and for the past two days we have been doing just that.

Beauty is North of Las Vegas, under a two-hour drive. We are here for Beatty Days.  The little town blossoms for their version of Nevada Day, a state holiday. Today is set up in the park.

A boy pointed it out as I finished polishing this piece. When able to bring my equipment and work stones at a show it provides an opportunity to teach and be taught. Now look carefully at the left center. It is a stick figure of a dog, as if it were leaping. Many stones reveal a picture. Just take time to look and use some imagination.

We enjoyed Logandale. Now off to Beatty, Nevada.